The Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Abdulrahman Alfadley, recently emphasized the importance of strengthened regional collaboration in protecting the environment and enhancing vegetation cover in order to boost food and water security, safeguard biodiversity, preserve ecosystems, and promote climate change adaptation. He spoke at the first session of the Ministerial Council of the Middle East Green Initiative (MGI), which aims to address environmental challenges in the Middle East and North Africa. The MGI, launched by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in 2021, is the first regional alliance of its kind and marks a significant step toward improving regional governance in fighting desertification, drought, and climate change challenges.
During the meeting, the MGI secretariat’s organizational structure and internal policies were approved, and key decisions were made to enable the launch of the initiative’s implementation phase. The council expressed its gratitude to King Salman and the Crown Prince for launching the initiative and reaffirmed its commitment to combat land degradation, desertification, and drought while mitigating their environmental and socio-economic impacts. The council also welcomed the accession of 11 countries as regional members of the MGI and urged other regional countries to join the initiative.
The council also welcomed the United Kingdom as a non-regional contributor with observer status and encouraged other non-regional countries to participate and provide technical and financial support to help achieve regional objectives and address global environmental challenges. The importance of setting ambitious future goals, developing policies and national strategies for land rehabilitation and vegetation cover development, and incorporating national targets into the MGI’s regional framework was highlighted. The council emphasized the vital role of the private sector, financial institutions, and civil society in supporting regional initiatives and addressing global challenges.
The council commended the landmark resolution adopted during the sixth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-6) in February 2024, which focused on strengthening international efforts to combat land degradation and desertification while enhancing resilience to drought. Saudi Arabia’s hosting of the last World Environment Day celebration in Riyadh on June 5, 2024, was also praised, along with the designation of “Our Land, Our Future” as the theme for World Environment Day 2024 by the United Nations Environment Program. The council looks forward to the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to be held in Riyadh in December and advocates for support of the COP16 outcomes.
In conclusion, the Ministerial Council of the Middle East Green Initiative affirmed its commitment to regional collaboration in addressing environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. The council highlighted the importance of collective efforts in combating land degradation, desertification, and drought, as well as the crucial role of international multilateral efforts, the private sector, financial institutions, and civil society in supporting regional initiatives. The council praised the progress made so far in establishing the MGI and launching its implementation phase and emphasized the need for continued efforts to achieve the initiative’s ambitious objectives.
